Method of and apparatus for applying powdered asphalt to mineral wool to form a binder



Aug 7 1934 o. F'. MOTTWEI 1 5 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR A ING POWDERE D ,9 ASPHALT TO MINERAL L TO M A BIND Filed Mar 4, 19 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1934- o. F. MOTTWEILER 8,

METHOD OF' AND APPARATUS FOR APFLYING POWDERED ASPHALT TO MINERAL TO FORM A BINDER Filed Marh 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /A/V/A/roe: OLIVER E MOTTWE/L El?.

8/ ama Patented Aug. 7, 1934 METHD OF AND APPARATUS FOR AP- PLYING POWDERED ASPHALT TO MIN- ERAL WOOL TO FORM A BINDER Oliver F. Mottweiler, Gimco City, Ind., assignor to General Insulating & Manufacturing Company, Alexandria, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application March 4, 1932, Serial No. 596,'120

7 Claims. (Cl. 19-7'15) This invention relates to a novel method of and apparatus for applying asphalt in the form of powder to mineral wool coincidently with the shredding of the molten material from which the mineral wool is formed by a blast of steam, whereby the powdered asphalt will be melted and to a greater or lesser extent vaporized by the heat of the steam and contact with the molten material, so that the filar nents of the mineral 0 wool will be uniformly coated with the asphalt, which thus acts as a binder, and enables the mineral wool to be compressed and molded into various permanent shapes and forms for use'in the arts. v

In a companion application filed at even date herewith, I have described and claimed a method of and apparatus for commingling a liquid binder, such as liquid asphalt, with mineral wool. Asphalt is now manufactured in powdered form,

2 and the present invention is directed to utilizing' powdered asphalt in a manner to enable it to be commingled with the mineral wool to act as a bindet.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the 5 apparatus which I employ in carrying out my improved method,-

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing my improved apparatus combined with a cupola in which the rock is melted,

and which delivers a molten stream of said melted rock to be shredded by a blast of steam to form the mineral wool;

Figure 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of an improved blow cap which I employ;

Figure 3 is, a view in front elevation ot the same;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 showing the rear side of the blow cap; and

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a cupola having a spout, 2, at its lower end from which a stream, 3, of molten material, such as, melted slag or rock flows, and against which a blast of steam is adapte'd to be directed from a blow cap, 4, in order to shred the molten material and form filaments constituting the mineral wool. These laments as formed are blown by the blast of steam through an opening 5 in the front wall, 6, o! a blow chamber. The blow cap 4 is mounted on the end of a pipe 'I connected to a steam line 8 through which steam under a, high degree of pressure passes 'to the blow cap.

According to my invention, powdered asphalt is .adapted to be projected with great force against the stream 3 of molten material by the steam blast of the blow cap, and in order to accomplish this resultand to secure the automatic feed of the powdered asphalt to the blow cap, I have designed a special construction of the blow cap which will now be described, referring to Figures 2 to 6, inclusive, of the drawings.

The numeral 9 in all of these figures indicates a circular casting constituting the body of the blow cap, the rear end of which is formed with a screw-threaded recess, 10, in which is secured the end of the steam pipe 7, previously referred to. The front end of the blow cap is formed with a V-shaped recess, 11, the bottom or rear wall, 12, of which is inclined outwardly in the downward direction, so that the top of said recess is much deeper than its bottom. Extending centrally through the body of the blow cap and opening at opposite ends into 'the recesses 10 and 11, respectively, is a horizontal port, 13, the rear portion of which is screw-threaded and has screwed therein a jet nozzle, 14, having a relatively small bore, 15, which communicates with the steam pipe 7. At the rontof the blow cap, at the upper side thereof, I provide a chamber, 16, having a central outlet, 17, opening into the top of the recess 11, as clearly shown in Figure- 4. Screwed into the top of the chamber 16 immediately above the outlet 17 is a screw-threaded nipple, 18, to which is connected, by a suitable coupling, 19, one end of a pipe, 20, which opp erates to supply powdered asphalt to theblow cap, as later described. The body of the blow cap at the corners or angles of the recess 11 is cut through to from two inclined Slots, 21, which conve'ge or unite at their lower ends and which thus together form a V-shaped slot passing from the recess 11 to the recess 10 and forming elongated ports on either side and at the bottomgof the port 13 through which a blast of steam is adapted to pass at the same time as the blast of steam passes through the nozzle 14. The apparatus for supplying the powdered asphalt to the blow cap 4, will now be described.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral 22 indicates an upright frame on which is supported an open top container, 23, for holding the powdered asphalt. The container 23 has a conical bottom, 24, and depending from the latter is a cylindrical. spout, 25,'on the lower end of which is supported' asmall chamber, 26.' The chamber 26 has an outlet pipe, 27, at its lower end which is provided with a. valve, 28, ,to which is connected the other end of the pipe 20 leading to the blow cap, and previously referred to. The powdered asphalt is adapted to be fed by force into the chamber 26, and to this end I mount centrally of said container, in spiders 29, a shatt, 30, having on its lower end an auger, 31, which works in the. cylindrical spout 25. On the upper end of shatt 30 isa bevel gear, 32, meshing with a bevel gear, 33, which is mounted on the end.` of the shalt, 34, of a variable-speed motor,- 35. The latter is mounted on a bra'cket, 36, secured on the upper end of the frame 22. ,By inspection ot Flgure 4, it will be seemthat the outlet 17 is located immediately over the mouth of the port 13 through which the steam blast from nozzle 14 is projected. said outlet is also located centrally between the upper ends of the two slots 21. As a result, when steam under pressure issues out oi' port 13 and slots 21, suction will be exerted in the outlet 17, and hence in pipe 20 and chamber 26, with the result that the powdered asphalt in said chamber will be withdrawn, and passing through pipe 20 will be sucked out ot the outlet 17 into engagement with the blast of steam issuing from the port 13, and by this blast, as' well as by the force of the blast passing from the slots 21, will 'be projected with great force against the stream 3 of molten material.

It will be observed that the powdered asphalt delivered through the outlet 17 will be' enclosed by a wall of steam, -and the heat ofthis steam together with that of the blast of steam from the port. 13, will operate to melt thasphalt while it is projected with great force against the stream of molten material, contact with which will then operate to vaporize it, and as this application ot the asphalt to the molten material occurs simultaneouslywith the shredding ot said material by 'the blast of steam, the asphalt penetrates .the

mass, is thoroughly commingled therewith, and

the fllaments or the mineral wool are uniformly coated with theasphalt. A

The powdered asphalt in container 23 is con: tinuously !ed into the chamber 28 bythe auger 31, and to regulate the quantatlve feed -ot the powdered asphalt I provide, in additlon to the valve 28, a valve, 37, which'controlsan air inlet to the chamber 26, and which may be turned to regulate the amount of air permitted to enter said chamber-.under the suction producedtherein from pipezo. The valve 28. ot course, may be adjusted to'control the aunt of powdered asphalt passing into the pipe 20. By regulating the' speed of motor. 35, which control: the feed\ of the powdered asphalt to the chamber 26, and by properly adjusting the 'valves 28 and 37, I am enabled to regulate with very great precision 'the quantity of powdered asphalt which will be projected by the blast of'steam at the blow cap.

The use of powdered asphalt colored to any shade desired is within the piu-view o! my invention. i

By the use of the term mineral woolf' in ,the claims I wish it be understood as covering' wool made from melted rock, slag, sand, clay, or the' like, the wool made from any of these products being commonly referred to as "mineral woo although some of them are specially designated,

as for example, rock wool, which is wool produced from melted rock; and slag wool, which is wool produced from melted slag.

I claim:

1. The method of commingling a binder with mineral wool with consists in shredding a molten material by means of a blast carrying powdered asphalt.

2. The method of commingling a binder of asphalt with mineral wool which consists in shredding a molten 'material by means of ablast directed against a stream thereot' and simultaneously forcibly projecting powdered asphalt into the molten material.

3. The method of commingling a binder of asphalt with mineral wool which consists in shredding a molten' material by means of a blast directed against a stream thereof and simultaneously forcibly projecting powdered asphalt into the molten material in the zone of the application of the blast thereto.

4. The method of commingling a binder of asphalt 'with mineral wool, which consists in directing a blast of steam against the stream of molten material to shred the same and simultaneously feeding into said blast regulated quantitis of powdered asphalt.

5. The method of commingling a binder of asphalt with mineral wool which consists in directing ablast of steam from a blow cap against a stream of molten material to shred the same and simultaneously drawing into said blow cap and feeding to said blast by suction produced in said-blow cap by said blast, regulated quantities of powdered asphalt.

B. Apparatus for use in commingling a binder of asphalt with mineral wool comprising, in combination with a blow cap for directing a blast of steam against a stream of molten material to shred the same, a container for powdered asphalt, a chamber mounted thereon,' means for feeding the powdered asphalt into said chamber, a pipe leading from said chamber to said blow cap and associated therewith in -a manner to have suction induced in said pipe by means'of the steam blast to draw powdered asphalt therethrough from said chamber, and a valved air inlet provided on said chamber for regulating the quantity of air drawn intosaid chamber by suction produced in said pipe and thereby regulate the quantity of asphalt w thdrawn by suction from 'said chamber.

A 7. Apparatus tor use in commingling a binder with mineral wool comprising, in combination &with a blow cap for directng ablast .of steam against a stream of molten material to shred the same, a container for powdered asphalt, a chamber mounted thereon, a feed device for forcing the powdered asphalt from said container into 'said chamber, means for regulating said feedde- -vice, `a pipe operatively connected with said chamber and leading into said blow cap at a point 'to caue 'suction'to' be induced in said pipe by the blast ot steam to cause the powdered asphalt to be drawn through said pipe from said chamber and red into said steam blast,.and a valved air inlet on said chamber for controlling the amount of air drawn into the same by suction produced in 'such pipe and thereby controlling the amount of powdered asphalt withdrawn by 'suction from said chamber.

` OLIVER. F. MO'I'I'WEILER. 

